The Other Side Of The Glass
by Zan65
Summary: Tony gets a visitor. Gibbs deals with the aftermath.
1. Chapter 1

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

By Zan 65

Rated T

Gibbs looked up from his paperwork as Tony's father walked out of the interrogation room and towards the elevator. Dinozzo Senior's face held no discernible expression. He did not even look in Gibbs' direction. Expecting Dinozzo to emerge soon after, Gibbs was concerned when his senior field agent did not come striding out in his usual, cocky manner. After five minutes, Gibbs went to the interrogation room door and knocked softly. There was no response. Quietly, he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Tony was sitting at the table. Gibbs again wished his agent had spent more time at home recuperating from his bout with the plague before coming back to work.

'Hey Boss,' Tony said in greeting. His tone was off-hand but Gibbs could feel in his gut that the younger man was rattled. Gibbs pulled out the chair Tony's father must have been using and sat down.

'Are you okay?' Gibbs asked quietly after several moments of silence during which Tony studied the table's surface. Tony's green eyes met Gibbs' blue ones.

'You know, my father was in here for ten minutes and he never got around to asking me that?' said Tony, his voice shaking slightly.

'Tell me it's none of my business, but what did he want?' asked Gibbs, his voice tight with anger. Tony was still recovering from the plague. Even if Dinozzo Senior didn't know about it, his son still looked very unwell.

'He, uh, he came to tell me that my grandmother has passed away,' explained Tony in the same shaky voice that unnerved Gibbs to his core.

'Nice of him to come tell you in person,' remarked Gibbs carefully.

'He needed me to sign some papers,' continued Tony. 'She was my maternal grandmother.' He was making as little eye contact with Gibbs as he could.

'Were you close?' Gibbs pushed further.

Tony nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He turned quickly away, but not before Gibbs saw his eyes begin to fill with tears.

'I've gotta go,' whispered Tony hoarsely as he stood up, but Gibbs was in his way and drawing him into a fierce embrace before Tony could fully comprehend what was happening. Too upset to be embarrassed, Tony wept against his boss's chest and felt a rough hand stroke his hair.

Gibbs held Tony close and hoped two things: that Tony would ask for his help with family matters, and that Tony's father would rot in hell for his insensitivity.

Outside the room, looking through the glass, Abby held a hand to her mouth. Her own eyes glistened as she watched the touching scene on the other side of the glass.


	2. Chapter 2

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 2

By Zan 65

Rated T

After only several minutes of being held in Gibbs' arms, Tony quickly extricated himself and stepped back. He wiped furiously at his eyes and avoided all eye contact with his boss. _'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' _he mentally berated himself. How could he have let Gibbs catch him with his carefully constructed guard, not only down, but beyond his reach?

'Going to lunch,' he mumbled as he turned to leave.

'Dinozzo,' said Gibbs. Tony froze, his hand on the door handle.

'Do you think you need some more time off?' asked Gibbs, quietly.

'No, I'm good,' replied Tony without turning around. 'I'm fine. Back in fifteen.' With that he left, smoothing back his hair and straightening his tie. He paused at his desk to collect his keys and then he was gone, leaving McGee and Ziva staring after him. Gibbs took a moment to mull over what had just happened before re-entering the bullpen.

'Get back to work!' he barked at the two field agents who immediately resumed being busy. There was no messing around when Gibbs used that tone. _'Something's majorly pissed him off!' _thought McGee. And he was right.

Tony made his way to the NCIS car park but walked right by his car. He left the NCIS grounds and kept walking. Dark sunglasses shielded his eyes from the daylight and hid any remaining outward signs of his emotional outburst. He'd hoped the walk would clear his head, but sounds, images and sensations were flashing through his mind like a movie preview on continual loop: _his father shoving papers at him across the desk – his Nona singing him an Italian song – Kate looking blankly up at the sky – Gibbs telling him he would not die – Abby's umbrella at the funeral – blue lights – his mother's funeral – an Italian lullaby – the cold steel of a blade against his throat – Gibbs' hand on his hair…._

The sudden blast of a car horn halted Tony and his thoughts. He'd stepped onto the street into the path of a moving car. Stepping back, Tony waved an apology at the driver who shook his head in disgust as he drove off, which only served to remind Tony of his father once again. Sighing, he turned back in the direction of NCIS, There was no sense in Gibbs thinking that he'd gone AWOL _and _revealed himself to be a total screw-up.

Gibbs checked the time frequently as he waded through the mountain of paperwork. Ordinarily he would be praying for a new case to use an excuse for not completing forms, but he didn't want an 'off' Tony on the job. He didn't really want an 'off' Tony at home either. He hadn't liked what he'd seen in the interrogation room. He'd seen Tony affected by cases before – the Jeffrey White case had left him particularly moody – but for Dinozzo to lose it in front of him like he had was disturbing. The ringing of his phone interrupted Gibbs' reverie.

'Gibbs.'

'Gibbs!! Where's Tony?'

'Why, Abby?'

'Because I've rung his cell four times and he's not answering. Why isn't he answering?'

'Because his cell's on his desk,' Gibbs told her.

'So where is he?' Abby persisted. Gibbs smiled wryly to himself. Abby believed strongly in her own sixth sense, but Gibbs' gut told him that Abby probably knew more than she was letting on.

'He's gone to lunch,' Gibbs told her, lowering his voice.

'But it's not even 11,' Abby insisted, 'and Tony always checks in with me in case I want him to get me something.'

'Abs,' said Gibbs, his voice barely audible, 'he had a visit from his old man and…'

'Gibbs!' Abby interrupted him. 'His father!? Gibbs that is so, so, so not good!' she blurted. Gibbs could hear her stomping up and down the lab as she spoke.

'Why didn't you have Tony followed?'

'Because,' Gibbs told her, 'Dinozzo is a big boy and he needed some space…. and he's just walked in. Okay?'

'Gibbs, I really need to see him!' Abby pleaded.

'Okay, I'll see what I can do.' With that, Gibbs hung up and resumed his work.

Tony made a face at Ziva before resuming his seat and throwing a paper ball (one that he had prepared earlier) at McGee's head, but neither McGee nor Ziva reacted as they typically would have. Gibbs was in full dictator-mode. They didn't dare risk incurring his wrath. McGee privately marveled at the nerve Tony had shown by taking a break in the middle of the morning, but Ziva had seen the looks of concern Gibbs had sent the clock's way, and his relief when Dinozzo had returned. Ziva had not been part of the team for long, but she could see that something was going on and it had made Gibbs both angry and concerned.

'Dinozzo, go see Abby. She wants some help moving stuff. Give her a hand,' said Gibbs.

'I'll go,' offered McGee, standing up eagerly.

'You'll SIT!' snapped Gibbs.

'Yeah,Probie. She wants some muscle; not some weakling Geek,' Tony told him, with a must nastier edge to his jibe than normal. Mc Gee sat down again as Tony left for the lab without even glancing at Gibbs. Slightly crestfallen, McGee turned his attention back to his PC where a fresh email was waiting for him. It was from Ziva.

'_**Do not take it to your heart, McGee. There is something going on. Tony is not himself today.'**_

McGee read the message then deleted it. He risked a grateful nod in Ziva's direction before continuing his reports and wondering what the 'something' was.


	3. Chapter 3

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 3

As he entered Abby's lab, Tony fully expected a lecture from the goth. The four missed calls from her that he had noted on his cell did not bode well, but if she was rearranging the lab, perhaps she'd simply be grateful for his help.

'Muscles at your service,' he barely got out before he found himself with an armful of Abby, her pigtailed head adhered to his chest and her arms squeezing him tightly.

'Geez, Abs,' he wheezed, 'I haven't even moved anything for you yet!' Abby gave him one more squeeze before drawing back and lightly punching him on the arm.

'Ow!' exclaimed Tony. 'What was that for? You're freaking me out here Abs!'

'That's for disappearing and making me worry about you,' she scolded him, her face stern.

'But I was only gone twenty minutes,' protested Tony, his mind ticking. How did she even know he'd been gone?

'Tony,' she said seriously, placing her hand on his shoulder. 'Why was your father here?'

Tony looked into her beautiful eyes. They were eyes that showed such deep concern and worry for him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to lie to her. He had never been able to lie to her. It was pointless. He let Abby lead him over to the workbench where they both sat on the high stools. Abby waited patiently for him to begin.

'Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to have me move furniture for you?' he asked, hopefully.

'I don't even know what that's supposed to mean,' Abby retorted, her eyes narrowing slightly. 'Now spill.'

Tony sighed. No matter how hard he was trying to bury the past, people kept bringing it back to the surface.

'He came to tell me that my grandmother died,' he began.

'Your Nonna? Oh Tony, I'm so sorry!' gushed Abby, reaching forward to touch his cheek in sympathy.

'It's okay,' said Tony, removing her hand with his own. 'She had been ill for about a year. And she was in her seventies.'

'But it was kind of nice that your father came to tell you, isn't it?' questioned Abby. From what she knew of Tony's father, a visit to tell his son about a relative's passing wasn't exactly in character.

'I already knew she'd died,' Tony told her quietly, looking down at his shoes. 'Her housekeeper has been keeping me updated. I would have liked to have been there at … you know… at the end, but I was kind of busy, you know.'

Abby gave his hand a comforting squeeze. Trust Tony to describe as 'kind of busy' a month during which he had been infected with deadly plague and lost his partner to Ari!

'So why did he come?' she persisted gently.

'My grandmother was quite a wealthy woman,' Tony told her. 'When my…in the early days of my parents' marriage, she was given a lot of shares in my father's companies. Apparently she'd left the bulk of the shares to me, but that would mean I'd own part of my father's business interests. And you know I've been, you know…. cut off from all that.'

Abby shook her head in confusion. This was not making any sense.

'I don't understand,' she told him. Tony looked at Abby's obviously confused face and smiled sadly. Why _would _she understand? It seemed that it was only in _his _family that events panned out the way they did. It wasn't unheard of for parents to disinherit their children, but his own father had a way of regularly re-appearing in his life in the most distasteful of ways.

'He wanted the shares, Abby,' he told her. 'And I signed them over because I don't want anything to do with the family money. I just wanted to see the back of him.'

'But it's upset you,' said Abby. She could see the tiniest glint of tears in Tony's eyes. It was obvious he was fighting to keep control.

'I don't give a shit about the money,' he said very quietly. 'But when he came, I stupidly thought he might be concerned about _me_.' Tony laughed bitterly at what he'd said. Perhaps the plague had addled his brain after all. 'But why should he start now?' he added. 'He hasn't given a shit about anyone else besides himself his whole life.'

Tony rubbed his eyes and gave Abby's hand a squeeze before standing up.

'Anyway, the funeral's tomorrow. I should probably go.'

'I'll come with you,' blurted Abby. There was no way she could stand to think of Tony facing his family on his own.

'It's okay Abby,' he told her. 'I'd rather just go on my own. I'll just drop in. No big deal.'

In truth, Tony hated the thought of Abby being near his family, especially his father. He didn't want any woman he cared about to be anywhere near the man. The thought of it made him feel physically ill.

'So,' he said, eager to change the topic and lighten the somber mood. 'I take it you don't really have any jobs for me to do down here. What am I gonna tell the Boss?'

'Tell him to come down here right away,' she told him sweetly. 'I have some vital, case-related information to share with him.'

Tony nodded and sauntered towards the door. As he was about to leave the lab, he turned to see that Abby was still staring after him. Smiling, he signed a message to her. It was one she had taught him and he had been able to memorise.

As Tony was taking the stairs back to the bullpen, Abby sat waiting for Gibbs with Tony's message of: 'Thank you. I love you,' still in her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 4

'Why are you all dressed up?' asked Tony when he found his boss on his doorstep.

'Keeping you company today,' Gibbs told him in his usual matter-of-fact manner. Tony had obviously been getting dressed. Already in high quality suit trousers and imported, Italian shoes, Tony was still buttoning his white, Armani shirt. Tony didn't need to wonder how Gibbs knew he was attending a funeral today instead of spending the day sick in bed. He could do Math, and it all added up to Abby.

'I don't need anyone to hold my hand,' Tony told Gibbs evenly.

'I'm sure you don't,' said Gibbs, 'but I'm driving you.'

Tony continued to look at Gibbs, his face quizzical as though he was assessing the situation and trying to work out exactly _why_ Gibbs was there. Gibbs noticed how pale the young man was, and the darkness beneath his eyes. Tony clearly hadn't been sleeping well.

'As long as we get there and back in one piece,' Tony replied finally, stepping aside to let Gibbs in. 'I'm nearly ready.'

Once in the house, Gibbs noted the way Tony was having difficulty with his tie; something the fashion-conscious man would normally have executed in a second. Gibbs stood in front of Tony and took over.

'Let me do that,' he said gruffly. Tony dropped his hands to his sides and let Gibbs do the tie. The tone of Gibbs' voice and the fact that he'd tossed and turned all night at the thought of facing his father again nearly brought Tony undone.

'There you go,' said Gibbs as he straightened Tony's collar.

'Thanks,' Tony managed as the younger man quickly turned away.

'Meet you outside,' Gibbs said, giving Tony the opportunity to collect himself.

……………………………………………………..

'So had your grandmother been ill?' Gibbs asked as they drove east. He wasn't a fan of small talk but he was unnerved by this silent, brooding version of Dinozzo. He also wanted to get an idea of what he might be dealing with.

'Yeah,' replied Tony. 'She caught a really bad infection and it went to her chest. She was 75.'

'Pretty young to be your grandmother,' remarked Gibbs, thinking out aloud. Dinozzo was thirty.

'She was 25 when she had my mother,' Tony told him. 'And my mother was 20 when I was born.' He kept his tone and expression neutral.

Gibbs was really surprised at Tony's direct reference to his mother. While he had dropped comments here and there about his father – often acidic ones- Tony rarely mentioned his mother.

'Were you and your grandmother close?' asked Gibbs. He assumed so given Tony's preparedness to attend the funeral. Tony took a while to answer the question. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

'More so recently,' he said. 'She tried to spend time with me after my mother died. She sent birthday presents and some letters.' Gibbs _did_ know that Tony had lost his mother at the age of nine, but that was _all_ he knew. Gibbs took a right turn and glanced over at his passenger.

'Did she live a long way away from you?' asked Gibbs, noting the 'tried to' aspect of Tony's reply. Tony stared out the side window, unwilling to look at Gibbs as he answered.

'She lived in our street,' he said softly. 'My father didn't like her visiting that much, so she couldn't.'

'Didn't they get along?' pressed Gibbs, curious. Tony took a long time before answering and he kept his face averted.

'My father isn't an easy man to get along with,' he said finally.

Gibbs kept his eyes on the road and pondered this response. After Tony's mother's death – an event that nobody seemed to know the details of, even Abby – it would have been just Tony and his father in their lavish house. It would have been tough for the kid to lose his mother. Gibbs just hoped that was the only thing that Tony had had to cope with, but his gut told him differently. The rest of the journey passed in silence. Both men were absorbed by their own thoughts.

…………………………………………………….

At the church, Gibbs took a position at the rear as Tony strode forward to take his place in the front row reserved for family members. A couple of older women acknowledged Tony, but Dinozzo Senior didn't even spare a glance as his son sat beside him. Gibbs could swear he saw Tony physically shrink as he stood beside his father. For him this was proof of what his gut had told him; that Tony had been neglected, and possibly worse, as a child in a house where there was no-one else to turn to. And it suddenly explained Tony's excessively flippant manner towards others, and his inability to have long standing relationships. Tony was used to fending for himself and keeping his innermost emotions to himself. And it also explained oh so clearly the paternal feelings Tony elicited from Gibbs. His heart ached for him and his awful childhood, but he also felt immense pride in the way Tony had grown into a respected, capable adult. It seemed he had had little help in his early years.

At the conclusion of the service, and after Tony had self-consciously traipsed behind his father to the gravesite, Gibbs saw the pair exchange some words. Instinctively he moved forward to stand beside Tony.

'It looked good for you to be here today,' Dinozzo Senior was saying. 'You should be at more family and business events. If you give up your current line of work I can find a place for you in the business.'

'I came out of respect for Nonna, and for mother,' Tony said in reply. 'I don't give a crap about how it looks.' Dinozzo Senior looked as though he was going to say more, but his gaze landed on Gibbs. Tony, too, became aware of Gibbs' presence.

'This is Jethro Gibbs,' Tony told his father, uncomfortably.

'I'm a friend of Tony's,' Gibbs said evenly. 'I'm sorry for your loss.'

Gibbs did not extend his hand and neither did Tony's father. On first impression, Gibbs thought, Dinozzo Senior bore some resemblance to his son, but there was no kindness of twinkle in the older man's eyes, and no laugh lines.

'Perhaps as his friend,' purred Tony's father, 'you could encourage him to come back to the family more often.'

'He's a free agent,' Gibbs said, his eyes hardening. He liked this man less and less. Fortunately, the priest came to speak with Dinozzo Senior and the older man nodded his goodbyes curtly.

Gibbs hovered at a respectable distance while Tony shook hands with several people and was kissed on both cheeks by two elderly women, possibly great aunts.

'Okay, we can go now,' Tony told Gibbs quietly as he sent a fake smile the way of yet another aunt or cousin. They headed off.

Once inside Gibbs' car, Tony shut his eyes and rested his head back against the seat. He felt as though all his physical reserves had been depleted by this one outing. Who was he kidding that he was fit to come back to work? His head throbbed and his body seemed strangely heavy.

Gibbs glanced over a Tony before starting the engine. As he drove off he thought back to a conversation he had overheard between two elderly women outside the church:

'_**Oh, Pina! There is Anthony! It does not seem so long ago that he was here to bury his mama!'**_

'_**Si, it has been 21 years. Poor Angelina! So young!'**_

'_**Poor Anthony too. Did you ever see him with his father's arm around him? No! Not then and not now. Angelina must be still turning in her grave!'**_

'Tough gig,' commented Gibbs, giving Tony the opportunity to talk if he wanted to.

'Yep,' agreed Tony, not opening his eyes.

'Your mum buried there too?' asked Gibbs, pressing a little further.

'Yep,' replied Tony, this time his voice little more than a whisper.

'That must have been really tough,' said Gibbs gently, referring not only to the funeral they had just attended, but the funeral 21 years ago. He imagined a smaller version of the young man sitting beside him, pale faced and bewildered among a sea of adults. Had anyone really taken care of him? He doubted very much that the man he had spoken to at the gravesite had. Gibbs patted Tony's shoulder as he drove. And suddenly, that small physical gesture – small but so much more than any comfort he had received from his own father – caused 21 years of anguish and loss to come gushing to the surface. With a strangled little sob, Tony covered his face with his hands and bent forward in his seat. Gibbs had not intended to provoke such a reaction but he was not entirely surprised by it. The brief display of emotion he had seen from Tony in the interrogation room had seemed to be the tip of the iceberg.

Gibbs immediately pulled over and braked. After only a moment's hesitation he put both arms around Tony and drew his head to his chest. He didn't attempt to hush the younger man or say anything at all. He just held him while he sobbed his heart out.

For Tony, the feeling of Gibbs' arms around him was overwhelming. It was so starkly different to the way his female relatives had stroked his hair and told him everything was all right. Everything had been so far from alright that he had wanted to scream at them, but that was not how Dinozzo's were meant to behave. Dinozzo's didn't cry. Dinozzo's kept their real feelings to themselves. Dinozzo's pretended everything was fine.

Once his tears were mostly spent, Tony allowed himself the luxury of resting his head against Gibbs' chest, listening to the strong heartbeat. He would have given anything to have gone to sleep like that 21 years ago instead of in a luxurious but lonely bedroom.

Reluctantly, Tony eventually sat back and rubbed at his red, swollen eyes.

Saying nothing, Gibbs re-started the car and headed off again. He would take Tony back home, but then there were some very important things he wanted to do.


	5. Chapter 5

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 4

When they reached his home, Tony was a bit shocked when Gibbs also got out of the car. He had expected his Boss to hurry back to work the moment he could. They had exchanged no words since Tony's breakdown and Gibbs' driving had been at break-neck speed. Tony wouldn't have blamed Gibbs for barely slowing the car down and having Tony leap out. He still couldn't quite believe he had shown himself to be so weak in front of Gibbs. Twice in two days; did that constitute a habit?

'Don't you need to get back Boss?' he asked. 'Somebody has to make sure Ziva doesn't end up slitting McGee's throat for excessive geek speak.'

'Need to use the bathroom,' Gibbs told him. 'And I need a coffee. Got a problem with that?'

'No,' said Tony as he unlocked the door. 'I'll try not to cry all over you again.' His attempt at flippant humour wasn't entirely successfully, mainly because he blushed deeply as he made the remark. Gibbs gave Tony a gentle swat to the back of the head as they entered the apartment. It was a gesture that Tony was more used to and he welcomed the normality of it.

'Go change,' ordered Gibbs as he made his way into the kitchen. 'I'm not trusting you to make the coffee.' Tony didn't argue and quickly went upstairs, grateful for some time alone.

As he was making a coffee for himself and something for Tony, Gibbs's cell phone rang. He smiled as he noted the caller ID.

'Yes Abby.'

'Gibbs!! Is he okay? How did it go? Was his father there? Did..?'

'Abby,' hissed Gibbs, not wanting Tony to hear him. 'He's okay. Relax.'

'But did you go with him?'

'Yes. And it's good that I did.'

'Yes it is. Thank you Gibbs. I'm happy that you went with him. He needed someone to be there.'

Gibbs smiled at the concern for Tony evident in Abby's voice. She was a good friend.

'Abs, how much do you know about Dinozzo's father?' asked Gibbs.

'Enough,' she replied. 'Tony doesn't talk much about him. Sometimes cases bring stuff up about his past and he makes a passing comment regarding his childhood.'

'What kinds of cases?' asked Gibbs. He took a look towards the stairs to make sure Tony wasn't within earshot.

'All kinds,' replied Abby. 'The Stamford case brought up a lot of stuff for him. He was down here with me a lot when you guys were investigating it.'

Gibbs thought back to the details of the Stamford case. Young returned soldier. Decorated in battle. Apparent 'accidental death' that ended up being a suicide. Abusive father. Tony took the lead on the case and conducted the interviews. Why hadn't Tony said anything to Gibbs?'

'Tony didn't tell me anything voluntarily,' said Abby as though she had read Gibbs' thoughts through the telephone. 'I just guessed that he was upset and he couldn't deny it. He just got this really hurt look in his eyes and didn't seem to know what to do with himself.'

'What did _you_ do?' asked Gibbs softly.

'I just hugged him and hugged him,' Abby told him as though it was the most logical answer. 'I love Tony. I hate to see him hurting.'

'I'll see you later Abs,' said Gibbs as he poured the coffee.

'You look after him,' Abby warned him.

'Bye Abs.'

Gibbs stood by himself in Tony's kitchen and drank his coffee. It seemed he knew very little about his senior field agent. He knew he was courageous – fearless in fact- in the field. He always had Gibbs' six. He had great instincts and could carry out undercover assignments like no-one else Gibbs had ever known. In fact Tony Dinozzo seemed to be particularly good at pretending. He was well aware of Dinozzo's desire to please Gibbs. When he received praise from Gibbs, he was like a little kid getting a special prize from the teacher. But until now Gibbs had little inkling of what made Dinozzo tick. Now he had been given a glimpse, he wanted to know more. The investigator in Gibbs wanted to solve the mystery. The father in Gibbs wanted to help him. But he would have to find the right approach. Damage done over 30 years could not be undone overnight.

Gibbs put down his empty cup and ascended the stairs. There was no sound of any movement. He knocked softly on Tony's bedroom door. Hearing no response he opened the door and looked in. Tony had changed into jeans and a t-shirt and was dead asleep on his side on the bed. Smiling slightly, Gibbs carefully pulled the comforter over Tony and quietly drew the curtains. Restful sleep was a good start to recovery. Leaving the door ajar, Gibbs made his way downstairs and went to make another cup of coffee. Work could wait a while. He was in no immediate hurry to get back.


	6. Chapter 6

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 5

Three days after Antonella Arcadia, mother of the already deceased Angelina Dinozzo, was laid to rest, her only grandson went back to work at NCIS. He breezed into the office in an extremely suave and confident manner. He was dressed in one of his most expensive suits and a pair of highly polished Italian shoes. With exaggerated flourish, he deposited coffees onto Ziva's and McGee's desks, and he allowed himself to be hugged by an exuberant Abby. When he had escaped her, Tony placed a bottle of fine whiskey, adorned with a red bow, in front of Gibbs.

'Thanks for the lift the other day, Boss,' he said, as though Gibbs had merely saved him a trip into work. And then he was whisked away by Abby to say hello to Ducky who had, she said, been concerned that Tony had taken two days off sick.

'Well, Tony seems… much, much better,' remarked Ziva before sipping her coffee.

'He looks tanned,' said McGee, wrinkling his brow. 'Who has time to get a tan in two days of sick leave?'

'Well, he looks good,' said Ziva, 'but if you tell him I said so there shall be serious, unpleasant consequences for you McGee.'

Gibbs ignored the conversation taking place in front of him. He said nothing. Dinozzo, it seemed to him, had put in a strong performance – perhaps one worthy of an Oscar nomination – but Gibbs wasn't buying it. His mind went back to their last conversation. It had taken place after Tony's post-funeral nap at Tony's house.

'_Boss? You're still here?'_

'_Yep.'_

'_Why?'_

'_Thought you might wanna talk.'_

'_About what?'_

'_I don't know. Your grandmother. Your father. Life. Stuff like that.'_

'_I'm fine Gibbs.'_

'_You're not.'_

'_Boss! I don't wanna talk! I'm fine.'_

'_Dinozzo, to quote you, you've cried all over me twice in two days. You're not fine.'_

'_Come on, Boss. I'm still not recovered from that bug.'_

'_You can't keep blaming the plague, Tony. Especially not for bad memories and a crappy childhood.'_

'_You don't know anything about my childhood, Boss! Just leave it!'_

'_Did you get any counseling?'_

'_Yeah, like counseling helps anything.'_

'_Did you get counseling?'_

'_For what? When?_

'_When your mother died?'_

'_I didn't need it.'_

'_No?'_

'_Look, I'm still here aren't I? I coped.'_

'_It's not too late to get counseling you know.'_

'_That's really rich from a man who wouldn't set foot in a shrink's office.'_

'_**I'm**__ not 9 years old Tony.'_

'_Boss! __**I'm**__ not 9 years old anymore! Okay? I'm fine. I'm tired. I'm run down, but I just need to get more sleep. I don't want to talk about anything.'_

'_Fine, Tony. I'll see you tomorrow.'_

'_I'm not coming in tomorrow. I'm taking two more days. Director Shepherd already knows.'_

'_So, you're NOT fine.'_

'_Geez, Boss! Everyone, including you, keeps telling me I look like crap and came back to work too early. I finally agree that I need to take some more time, and you give me the third degree!'_

'_Okay, okay. Ring if you need anything.'_

'_Honestly, Boss, I don't want or need anything from anybody.'_

Tony's last comment before his Boss had left had echoed in Gibbs' mind. Tony Dinozzo, from birth, had everything: money, fabulous house, looks, charisma, charm and athletic ability. He had everything, and yet he had nothing. His father had never been there for him, and his young mother had been taken from him when he had been a mere child. Tony had been forced to fend for himself emotionally, and perhaps physically. And it seemed to Gibbs that Tony had felt this way for a very long time.

Gibbs stopped his musing and noticed that Ziva and McGee were still talking. After sending them a glare deadly enough to return them to their duties, he scrolled through his emails to see if the favor he had asked of a close friend in the law had been granted. He smiled a rare Gibbs smile as he read the communication from his friend. It seemed that Gibbs was in a position to help Tony in a practical sense with at least one aspect of the young man's past.


	7. Chapter 7

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

'He looks great, doesn't he Ducky!' enthused Abby. The old M.E. nodded his head and smiled at how happy Abby was at having Tony back at work.

'Certainly appears to be doing very well indeed,' Ducky said as he looked closely at Dinozzo. Tony pretended to recoil from the scrutiny and stepped behind Abby.

'Alright, alright,' he protested with a laugh. 'I agreed to come and visit, not to be subjected to a medical third degree. Haven't you got any dead ones you're supposed to be looking over, Ducky?'

'No, I'm happy to say that things have been a bit quiet over the last few days. And things have bound to have been a trifle dull upstairs without you stirring the pot, I bet,' said Ducky.

'Speaking of which,' said Tony, 'McGeek is in serious need of a good stir right now. He's looking so serious that his chin has nearly attached itself to his chest. Catch you later, Abs. Bye Ducky.'

'Don't you be too mean to McGee!' Abby called after him. 'Ziva's got him scared enough already!' Tony grinned and saluted her as the lift doors closed. Abby turned back to where Ducky was looking thoughtful.

'He _does _look great, doesn't he Ducky?' she asked, slightly concerned by Ducky's manner.

'_Look_ being the operative word, my dear,' he told her. 'The tan suggests he's taken some time outdoors, but that's not the case – it's courtesy of a solarium most likely. It's too even to be from the sun. And the whites of the eyes are dull, probably from lack of sleep. The slight shakiness is probably the result of either stress or excessive caffeine.' Abby's smile had faded and she had begun to chew her bottom lip.

'But Ducky, how come I didn't see any of those things? I'm supposed to be his friend!'

'My dear, don't feel bad. Anthony would make an excellent actor. He's most likely been rehearsing the 'I'm fine and fit for work' role for the last two days. It's just harder to fool me because I'm used to looking for evidence on people who cannot tell me anything in words. And besides, be honest Abby – when have you ever known Anthony to voluntarily take time off because he's sick?'

Abby sank down on Ducky's chair and exhaled loudly. She could clearly see now that she had been fooled.

'Why _did_ he take time off?' Ducky asked, sitting down opposite Abby.

'He went to his grandmother's funeral. Gibbs went with him. Gibbs didn't really give me too many details about what happened there, but I know it was the right decision for Gibbs to go with him. And then he told Gibbs that he was taking off two more days because he still didn't feel physically well after the plague thing.'

'And what did Gibbs think about that?' asked Ducky.

'Who knows what Gibbs thinks!' exclaimed Abby. 'McGee told me that Gibbs has been biting his and Ziva's heads off for the last two days, but that could just be Gibbs being Gibbs!'

'What did Tony's grandmother die of?' asked Ducky with curiosity.

'Some lung thing,' replied Abby. 'And she was kind of old. Tony really cared for her, but seeing his father is what's unsettled him.'

Ducky listened while Abby related the details of Tony's father's visit and the will. It seemed to Ducky that as close as Abby was to Anthony Dinozzo, even _she _did not really understand why revisiting his childhood had affected him so badly. Ducky liked to think of himself as an amateur psychiatrist, and he knew that there was an extremely important, pivotal relationship in Tony's childhood that no-one at NCIS knew anything about. Once Ducky had reassured Abby that Tony would soon return completely to his old self, he resolved to do some digging of his own.

………………………………………………….

As Tony returned to the bullpen, Gibbs put down his phone and began barking orders.

'We've got a murder. Ex-marine. Downtown. McGee, David, get the truck. Dinozzo, with me. Let's go!'

The team handled the crime scene with their usual professionalism. If anything, there was an extra degree of care taken as the victim was an ex-marine. Gibbs wanted all the 'i's dotted and 't's crossed on this one. Unfortunately, it appeared to be a drug sale gone wrong. The victim had drugs in his possession and it seemed that he was also a user; perhaps the seller as well. The team drew some very unpleasant preliminary conclusions after examining the crime scene and interviewing potential witnesses.

'That's about all we can do for now,' said Gibbs, his face drawn and tight. He put away his notebook and watched as Palmer zipped up the body bag. Palmer had efficiently examined the body at the scene without Ducky who had told Gibbs that it was about time Jimmy did more without having his hand held. Gibbs hoped that their preliminary findings were wrong, but his gut was telling him that the ex-marine had been dealing drugs and had been burnt.

On the way back to NCIS, Gibbs and Dinozzo discussed the case.

'Doesn't look good,' stated Tony.

'You think?' bit back Gibbs, testily.

'Well, I mean, being an ex-marine and all.'

'Once a marine, always a marine,' Gibbs told him as he turned a corner particularly hard.

'Maybe he'd fallen on bad times, Boss. Needed the money desperately,' Tony suggested, hanging onto the door handle for dear life.

'Well, you and Ziva can go interview his family tomorrow morning. He's widowed but he's got a daughter. She's 18. Cop said that an aunt is staying with her tonight. '

'Gotcha Boss,' replied Tony. Despite the death of the marine, Tony was feeling much more comfortable. Gibbs would be like a dog at a bone with their present case. Sempre Fi, and all that, was real important to him. He'd hopefully not be trying to corner Tony into having any deep and meaningful conversations. Tony knew Gibbs probably meant well, but he didn't know the first thing about how screwed up Tony's past was, and Tony didn't particularly want him to know. It wasn't going to help anything.

Once they got back to the office, Gibbs and Tony were alone. Ziva and McGee had gone home, Ziva with instructions to meet Tony at the dead man's address the next morning. Gibbs called Ducky.

'Duck, what did you find?'

'Jethro, as flattered as I am that you think I might have something for you after only laying eyes on the poor fellow for five minutes, I'm afraid you'll have to give me more time.'

'Okay, I'll be down in an hour,' Gibbs told him before hanging up. He looked across at Dinozzo who was playing one of those annoying games on his cell. There was no one else left on their floor. Now was as good a time as any to tell Tony about developments. Gibbs dragged his chair across to Tony's desk and sat down opposite his senior field agent. As Tony looked across his desk at the unusual sight of Gibbs sitting there, his heart sank a little. Alarm bells went off in his head.

'Tony, you had every right to the shares your grandmother left to you,' Gibbs began. It was such a Gibbs way of starting a conversation – straight to the point. Tony put away the phone and crossed his arms across his chest.

'Well, it doesn't matter now. I've signed them over,' Tony told him in a low voice. He had no idea where Gibbs was going with this, but he didn't like it.

'When your father came here to get you to sign those shares over to him, you were under duress. You were newly bereaved and in no condition to sign anything. The paperwork you signed would not stand up in court. If you don't want the shares, you should be given the equivalent monetary value of the shares,' explained Gibbs.

Tony gave Gibbs what could only be described as a long, cold stare before standing up and leaning across the desk. His face was tight with anger and his knuckles were white.

'I don't_ want_ the shares and I don't_ want_ the money. I don't want_ anything_ connected to my family,' he practically snarled. 'You have no right to pry into my private affairs. And what's it to you anyway? Aren't you busy enough? Maybe I should ask the director to give you more to do.'

'Tony,' said Gibbs, his voice calm, 'you can't deny your past.'

'I don't _want_ anyone digging up my past!' shouted Tony in exasperation. 'I like it buried! Why don't you get that?!'

Tony strode away from his desk towards the window. He stood there looking out at the night, trying to control his breathing and his rising sense of angry panic. Gibbs did not get up from his seat, but turned to watch the younger man standing away from him. He chose to be unfazed by Tony's reaction. He needed to finally heal and no-one healed when they kept trying to run away Gibbs knew that from personal experience.

'Tony,' Gibbs persisted, 'your grandmother was trying to look out for you when she wrote her will. She can't look out for you anymore, so let me.'

Tony continued to stand staring out of the window for what seemed like an eternity while Gibbs waited. Eventually Tony strode to his desk and grabbed his car keys. As he walked to the stair-well he called back over his shoulder:

'I'm gonna go straight to interview the daughter in the morning. Ziva's meeting me there. I'll report to you later, unless you want to come too now that you're now such an expert in bereavement.' And then he was gone, slamming shut the door to the stair well behind him. Gibbs sat alone in the office, waiting for Ducky to finish examining the body.


	8. Chapter 8

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 8

Ducky started his day at work opening emails. Resting his cup of tea on the desk, he was pleased to see he had received a prompt reply to his enquiry about Anthony's mother's death. There were obvious benefits of having numerous favors owed to him by influential colleagues, he thought with a chuckle. His smile faded, however, as he opened and read the detailed summary he had been sent. Ducky had suspected that Mrs. Dinozzo may have died from a respiratory complaint – and that would have partly explained Anthony's recent sensitivity about his family. But nothing could have been further from the truth.

'Oh my!' exclaimed Ducky to himself. 'How dreadful!'

…………………………………………………..

As Ducky was finishing his tea, Ziva and Tony were perched on an old, brown couch across from Julie Stevenson, daughter of the murdered marine. An aunt was hovering in the background, but Julie had been able to answer the NCIS agents' questions without assistance. There was, it seemed to Ziva, an odd kind of relief in the young woman's manner.

'He'd go out at all hours,' Julie was saying, clutching tightly the tissues in her hand. 'He'd meet people I didn't know at the door late at night and not invite them in. If I asked who they were, he'd brush me off.'

'How long had your father been behaving like this?' asked Tony, his green eyes showing kindness. Julie bit her lip before answering.

'The last five years?' she finally offered. 'Since he returned from active duty.

'According to our information, your father was a widower,' said Tony, gently. 'When did your mother pass away?' Ziva was struck by Tony's compassionate manner. When she had met him out the front of the Stevenson house thirty minutes before, he had nearly bitten her head off for being slightly late. It was unlike Tony to be so bad-tempered. She was now quite stunned by the sensitive way he was handling the interview.

Julie looked down at her hands and watched her own knuckles whiten.

'My mother died two years ago,' she told them. 'She hated what was going on with Dad – what he'd become since coming back from war.'

'How did she die?' pressed Ziva. Julie made a sound that was part laugh and part sob before replying.

'It's ironic really. And I wonder if she _saw_ the irony. She killed herself. She overdosed on the drugs that dad probably had ready for a buyer.'

Ziva shook her head slightly in sympathy and closed her notebook. There seemed little doubt now that Stevenson had been a dealer who had run foul of a bad deal the previous evening.

'Well, thank you for your time, Julie,' said Tony as he stood up. He reached forward to shake her hand warmly. 'We're really sorry for your loss.'

'We will contact you if we need to speak with you again,' said Ziva, also standing before following Tony out the door.

'Poor young woman,' commented Ziva as they walked down the path. 'She is now all alone.'

'She's been alone for a long time,' was Tony's solemn reply as he strode quickly to his car. Before Ziva could comment further or ask what they should do next, Tony had driven off. His new partner was left staring after him.

………………………………………………

'So what's the deal?' Gibbs asked Ducky. The two men were down in autopsy to discuss the results of Stevenson's toxicology tests.

'Death was caused by a single gunshot wound to the chest, but there were definitely illegal drugs in his bloodstream, and clear evidence of longer term use,' Ducky informed Gibbs, his tone serious. 'It appears the shot was delivered at close range.'

Gibbs' mouth was set in a grim, tight line. A marine murdered was bad enough. A marine going bad and then murdered was worse.

'Bullet?' was his next curt, question of the M.E.

'Abby's still running it through ballistics. Jethro, were there mitigating circumstances to explain all this?'

'Nothing could justify peddling drugs,' said Gibbs, his lip curling with distaste. He looked up as Ziva walked in.

'Speak to the daughter?' he asked, without wasting breath on a greeting. He was in even less mood for pleasantries than usual.

'Yes,' Ziva replied. 'It seems she has been concerned for some time about her father's….activities. She does not seem to be so surprised by this recent occurrence.' Ziva filled the two men in on what Julie had said about her father's behaviour.

'Where's Dinozzo?' Gibbs asked suddenly.

'I do not know,' said Ziva. 'I assumed he had returned here.'

'What about the man's poor wife?' asked Ducky, curiously. 'Did she not think her husband's behaviour concerning?'

'She is dead,' said Ziva. 'Committed suicide by drug overdose two years ago. The daughter feels it may have been her mother's way of making a statement.'

Ducky felt as though his heart had dropped to his stomach.

'Ziva, my dear,' he said quietly but urgently, 'I wonder if you would give Jethro and I a moment.'


	9. Chapter 9

The Other Side of the Glass

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter

Tony could not recall leaving the Stevenson house. He could not recall much of the interview. He remembered the young woman's loss, her pain, her despair, the futility, the bitterness, the sadness … and the loneliness. Her emotions merged seamlessly with his own. _'You can't deny your past.' _Gibbs' words rang in his ears. It seemed to Tony that lately his past was being regularly flung at his face. And it stung. He was barely aware of where he was. Sights, sounds and sensations from the past came sharply into focus, and they could not be denied anymore.

…………………………

'Gibbs!' Abby's delighted voice rang out as she saw the Boss march into her lab. But then her whole manner changed as she saw that something was wrong.

'Dinozzo here?' Gibbs demanded as he peered into the dark corners of Abby's domain. He sounded angry, but Abby detected a hint of something else.

'No,' she said. 'Gibbs, what's wrong?' Instead of answering her, Gibbs turned on his heel and stormed back to the bullpen with Abby on his tail like a persistent terrier.

'Gibbs! You're scaring me! What's going on?' she pleaded.

'Dinozzo's gone AWOL,' he told her as he punched numbers into his phone. 'Ziva keeps trying his cell but he's not answering.' Abby looked questioningly at Ziva and then at McGee. McGee shrugged. Not answering your cell wasn't exactly a crime – not even in Gibbs' book. Tony had to have pissed Gibbs off by doing worse than that.

'Dinozzo?' barked Gibbs, holding his hand up for silence in the room. 'Where the hell are you?...Yes it _is _my business! You're on the clock!...Get your ass back here……Dinozzo, that wasn't a request, dammit!... Tony!'

Gibbs slammed the phone down in disgust.

'What did he say?' Abby dared to ask what the others were thinking.

'He said he had somewhere more important to be,' spat Gibbs.

Ziva raised her eyebrows. This was a strange development indeed. She had observed Tony's behaviour to be erratic over the past week, but now he had taken to defying direct orders from Gibbs. Surely he must have a death wish!

Gibbs felt a curious blend of anger and fear flow through his veins. Disobeying a direct order _was_ breaking a major rule, but Gibbs felt like slapping himself upside the head for not keeping Tony within arm's reach. He had been concerned enough about the younger man even _before _the bombshell Ducky had dropped some ten minutes ago.

'_Jethro, I'm afraid I need to tell you something that may entail breaching professional confidentiality.'_

'_About the marine?'_

'_About Anthony.'_

'_What about Tony?'_

'_Well Abigail informed me about his grandmother's passing and I wondered if there might be a genetic predisposition to lung disorders given her cause of death and Anthony's mothers' premature death. She was only 29 you know. Predisposition to disease can affect one's mental susceptibility to it. Did you know, for example..'_

'_Duck!'_

'_Jethro, Anthony's mother died of a self-administered drug overdose. There was strong suspicion of suicide, but the family paid for that possibility to be never raised publicly. The official ruling was accidental death by drug overdose.'_

_Gibbs stared at his old friend, his intense blue eyes giving little away. He swallowed, his throat dry._

'_Does Abby know?' he managed to ask. Ducky should his head._

'_I'm only telling __**you**__, Jethro, because given recent developments, I rather feel that you __**need **__to know.'_

'Gibbs, you've gotta go find him!' Abby was saying. 'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

'Got a crystal ball handy?' Gibbs asked in a tone that was laced with sarcasm.

'Ah, Boss,' stammered McGee, holding a print-out towards him. 'I suggest you look there.' Gibbs snatched the paper from McGee's hand and saw the red 'X' marked on it. McGee had traced Dinozzo's cell. Gibbs could have kissed him for it.

'Abby, if Dinozzo calls you, keep him talking,' he instructed as he walked hurriedly to the stairwell.

'And McGee?'

'Yes Boss?'

'Great work.'

……………………………………….

Tony threw his cell onto the car floor and shut the door. He had driven aimlessly, it seemed, but he had ended up here. He was not entirely surprised. It was where his thoughts often wandered during particular cases, when his guard was down, when he wanted answers to questions that had no answers. But this was only the third time he had physically been here in 21 years.

………………………………………..

Gibbs drove with more frantic purpose than he had done in a long time. He desperately wanted to get to Tony but again found himself surprised at his own fiercely protective feelings towards a man who, really, was just one of his colleagues – and a subordinate at that. Perhaps it was combination of factors: Tony's need for approval that peeped out from beneath the charismatic masks he wore, and the massive void in Gibbs' own personal life. Whatever the reason, he pressed down harder on the accelerator and prayed that Dinozzo hadn't done anything reckless.

……………………………………………

Tony stood on the perfectly manicured grass and shoved his trembling hands into his trouser pockets. The place was quiet and deserted. He was alone. Of course. He seemed to regularly end up alone. Most of the time he could convince himself it was better that way. If you relied only on yourself, then only _**you**_ could let yourself down. And there was less risk of being _left_ alone. He had foolishly let himself grow fond of and comfortable with Kate – and look how that had turned out! People were right when they said that Tony Dinozzo had commitment issues. They assumed it was because he was shallow, not because he had been burnt long before he was ten years old.

…………………………………………………

Gibbs spied Tony's mustang and parked alongside it. After a quick glance into the empty car, he jogged to the place he knew Tony would be. He now knew **where** he'd be, but he had no idea what he would say to him. His priority was to make sure Tony was safe. After that, he'd be as straightforward and direct as Tony had come to know Gibbs to be.

…………………………………………………

Tony read the words on the imported, marble headstone. 'Beloved wife'. He knew for a fact that that was crap; certainly it was at the time of the funeral. His parents had barely spoken a civil word to each other for a couple of years up to that day. He wondered if his father had really loved her for anything more than her beauty in the beginning. Tony himself admired beautiful women and this often bothered him. It was like carrying on some unfortunate genetic line.

'Beloved mother of Anthony'. Now, that was even more problematic.

Gibbs felt immense relief when he saw Tony's lanky form standing at the foot of his mother's grave. His worst fear had not eventuated. He could not have borne that – especially so soon after losing Kate. He crossed the last few meters and quietly stood beside Tony.

'Tony.'

'Hey Boss,' was the soft, whispered reply.

Tony was not really surprised that Gibbs was suddenly there. This was the man who had appeared through Tony's personal fog of pain and panic to tell him he would not die. And he had believed him. He had never had anywhere near such faith in his own father.

For some time the only sound was the occasional chirp of a bird.

'I kind of remember her singing me songs,' said Tony, breaching the silence. 'When I was real, real little. She used to tell me stories too – ones that she had made up. I loved that.'

Gibbs glanced sideways at Tony and then back at the headstone.

'Sounds like she was a great mom,' he said gently.

'Yeah,' agreed Tony, tonelessly. 'All great moms start drinking and shooting up and eventually kill themselves.'

Gibbs kept his gaze forward and waited for Tony to continue.

'The day after she died, I sat in my room and I listened to my father and his lawyers discussing how they wanted everything to look. He knew she'd killed herself, but all he cared about was the spin; how it would make _him _look.'

Gibbs took this information in and filed it away for the time he might find himself having a conversation with Tony's father.

'Who was with you?' he asked quietly. Tony looked at him, confused.

'When?'

'In your room when you were hearing all of this,' Gibbs elaborated. Tony looked down at his shoes and then at Gibbs.

'No-one. Why would there be? My father had sent me there after she had been found and I just stayed there. I was out of the way, I guess.'

Gibbs tried not to think them, but images of a younger version of the man standing beside him left alone in his bedroom immediately after losing his mother while adults bickered loudly about the need to keep up appearances came into his mind. Tony's childhood had been light-years away from normal.

'Kinda brought yourself up really, didn't you,' said Gibbs. 'Doesn't sound like you had a lot of help.'

Tony thought back to the lonely hours spent amusing himself at luxurious resorts, watching other children with attentive parents and wondering why _**he**_ didn't deserve that kind of life.

'I don't think I was such a bad kid,' he whispered. A few tears coursed down his face as he blinked. Gibbs put his hand at the base of Tony's neck and squeezed gently.

'Tony, what happened to you wasn't about you being a bad kid. You just happened to be in the middle of a crappy marriage. Adults don't always act the way they should. Got that?'

Gibbs waited until Tony nodded, the action causing more tears to stream down his face.

'But something really good came out of that bad marriage, Dinozzo: a first rate number one field agent, and a decent man. You should be proud of what you are, Tony. You're not your father and you never will be. And _**I'm**_ proud of you for that.'

Gibbs gave Tony's neck another reassuring squeeze. Tony felt the words of his boss and mentor wash over him. These weren't just kind words designed to cheer him up. These were sincere words from a man of typically few words. This was a man for whom he had great respect and trust. He looked Gibbs in the eye and managed a watery smile.

'Thanks for being here Boss,' he said hoarsely. Gibbs drew him into a hug and clapped him firmly on the back. He didn't know quite how it had happened, but this young man had become much more than a colleague. He was the closest thing to a son that Gibbs had ever had.

'Don't thank _me_,' Gibbs told him. 'McGee traced your cell.'

Tony gave a snort and drew back, crossing his arms across his chest against the chill of the air.

'Oh, McGee's gonna pay for that,' he joked, making Gibbs smile slightly.

'Meet you back at the office,' he told Tony as he began to walk back to his car. 'Take more time if you need it.'

Tony took one more look at the grave before breaking into a light jog to catch up with Gibbs. He didn't need any more time away from the office or the people there. There was a good chance that all the answers to the questions he still had were right in front of him.


	10. Chapter 10

The Other Side of the Glass

_Thank you so, so much for all your kind and encouraging reviews. This has been my very first NCIS fan fiction and I hope you enjoyed it. Zan 65_

The Other Side of the Glass

Chapter 10

Abby burst through Tony's apartment door with her usual tornado-like force the moment she opened it. She continued her dash to the coffee table so that she could put down the items she was struggling to carry.

'Hey Abs,' said Tony in greeting. 'You said you were bringing a DVD, not all your worldly possessions.' He shut the door and came to peer at the pile of things on his table.

'I come bearing gifts – well, kind of gifts – and a DVD, and icecream, and popcorn, and PJ's in case it gets so late that I have to borrow your couch again.' She handed Tony the icecream to put in the fridge, and took off her coat.

'Abby, you know _I_ always take the couch when you sleep over,' Tony called to her from the kitchen. 'Guests shouldn't have to sleep on the couch.'

'Yeah, I know,' Abby agreed. 'but I always feel so bad in the morning when you look so uncomfortable on it.'

'Well,' said Tony, walking back into the lounge, 'we could always share the bed.' He accompanied this suggestion with eyebrows waggling.

'And you could always get a longer couch!' retorted Abby, laughing.

Tony grinned and took a moment to once again relish how relaxed and, well, _normal_ he was feeling again. All had been better than he had imagined it could be over the three days since he and Gibbs stood together at the cemetery. Once he had got back to the office that day with his boss, Gibbs had allowed Abby to make a major fuss over Tony for two minutes maximum before bellowing at them all to 'get the hell back to work!' Gibbs had been Gibbs and that was precisely what Tony needed him to be.

Tony reached for the DVD to see the title but Abby snatched it from out of his reach.

'That's for later,' she scolded him. 'Gibbs wanted me to give you this. He said that it's up to you what you do with it, but it's important that you have it, and he didn't want to give it you at the office.'

Tony watched as Abby pulled very Abby-like items from her bag in an effort to find what she was looking for.

'Here it is!' she announced triumphantly when Tony's table was covered with candles, skull & crossbones pyjamas, black nail polish and black slippers. She held out an envelope. Tony swallowed, took the envelope and opened it.

Abby watched Tony. She had no idea what was in it. She recalled how cute Gibbs had been when he came to ask her to 'give a couple of things to Dinozzo'. It cracked Abby up how Gibbs put on the gruff act where Tony was concerned. She knew Gibbs loved him.

'_Abs, I need you to give a couple of things to Dinozzo, next time you see him off the clock.''_

'_Sure, Bossman. Tomorrow night is DVD night –his place.'_

'_If he tries to give you this envelope back, don't take it. Tell him it's up to him what he does with it, but it's important that he has it. Tell him I have to be able to use the fact that I'm his next of kin for something besides giving permission for medical treatment.'_

'_Okay, your wish is my command.'_

'_And Abby?'_

'_Yes Gibbs?'_

'_I don't have to give you a lecture about Rule 12 do I?'_

'_Gibbs! I am personally offended and offended on Tony's behalf!'_

'_Just checking Abs.'_

Tony read the brief legal document the envelope contained. In fancy language it stated that Anthony Dinozzo was entitled to the monetary value of the shares left to him by his maternal grandmother. His prior waiving of his right to them had been deemed null and void as no attorney had been present and Tony had been under duress at the time. A cheque had been written for him to the tune of a substantial figure. Tony did not recognize the name of the attorney who had signed it, but he definitely recognized the signature of the person who had signed on his behalf. A week ago it would have made him angry. Now it actually brought a small smile to Tony's face. He nodded his thanks to Abby as he put the envelope in his jeans pocket. He wasn't going to tell her what it was all about, and he knew she wouldn't ask. She could always 'feel his vibe' and he actually felt that his vibe was fine.

'Next gift!' she said excitedly, pulling him down to sit beside her on his couch.

'I cheated a bit on this one. I've already had a peek. This is from Gibbs too!' When Tony first saw Abby take the lid off the box to reveal the photograph album, he felt a knot begin to form in his gut.

'It's full of photo's of you from practically birth to about 5!' gushed Abby. 'Gibbs said your grandmother had kept it and wanted you to have it. Let's look at the together.'

'I don't know, Abs,' murmured Tony, but he soon found himself looking in wonder at photographs that were beautiful in how casual and candid they were. All of the photographs in his father's house were stiff, formal and strategically placed for guests to admire. He laughed along with Abby as she remarked on the cuteness of each photograph, particularly one of him at age two with spaghetti sauce all over his chin and cheeks. He had never seen these photographs. They were evidence that his childhood hadn't been entirely soul destroying.

Abby proclaimed the photograph of the last page to be her absolute favourite. Tony was aged about four and he was sitting on the lap of a beautiful young woman. He was looking up at her with innocent eyes but a slightly cheeky smile. The woman was looking adoringly down at him.

'Look at you!' squealed Abby. 'I've seen that same smile a hundred times! And look at your mom! She's stunning!' She slipped her hand into Tony's and squeezed it. Tony tentatively placed his free hand on the album and gently ran his finger over the photograph. From a distant time and place he could hear her sweet voice. He re-lived the warm feelings; the protection. He smiled.

'Of course she was stunning,' he told Abby. 'Explains why I'm so unbelievably hot.' Abby punched him lightly on the arm before returning the album to the box and passing it to him.

'Now you put this somewhere safe,' she told him. 'This is part of your history. You'll want to pass it on to someone important someday.'

As Tony took the box to put in the den, Abby took a moment to reflect. She still had concerns and questions about Tony and his past, but Gibbs had taken him under his wing and that was good enough for her. She was happy to supervise occasionally.

As she got up to put in the DVD, Tony returned to the couch.

'So what are we watching tonight?' he asked, stretching out his legs and placing his feet on the coffee table.

'We have, for your viewing pleasure,' announced Abby, 'a couple of episodes of _Reasonable Doubts_.'

'Cop show. Deaf attorney,' said Tony.

'Correct, smarty-pants,' retorted Abby. 'Seen it?'

'No,' relied Tony, 'but I'm curious.'

Abby sat down beside him and snuggled down under the arm he threw lazily across her shoulders.

'Just wait to see the hard-ass Detective Cobb!' she told him and she pressed PLAY. 'He's scarily familiar!'

……………………………………………

A week later, Julie Stevenson accepted an item of registered mail at her door. She prayed it was not yet another 'late payment' notice. She had barely been able to cover the cost of burying her father. The wage she got as a waitress was not stretching very far. On the porch she opened the envelope to reveal a short letter from a government agency. The writer remained anonymous but he wrote that he knew something of what she was going through and wanted to give her something to help her out. The accompanying cheque was for more money than she had seen in her lifetime. Perhaps her luck was changing after all.


End file.
